Bird Life
Encyclopedia
Bird Life is a book authored by Australian ornithologist
Ian Rowley and published by Collins (Australia) in 1975 in its Australian Naturalist Library series. It was issued in octavo
format (224 x 150 mm), containing 284 pages, bound in brown cloth with a dust jacket
illustrated by a painting of a Superb Fairy-wren
. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs, drawings and diagrams and is dedicated by the author: “To my father Duncan Rowley who kindled my interest in birds”.
It was reviewed in the Emu
by Richard Zann, who says:
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
Ian Rowley and published by Collins (Australia) in 1975 in its Australian Naturalist Library series. It was issued in octavo
Octavo
Octavo to is a technical term describing the format of a book.Octavo may also refer to:* Octavo is a grimoire in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett...
format (224 x 150 mm), containing 284 pages, bound in brown cloth with a dust jacket
Dust jacket
The dust jacket of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers...
illustrated by a painting of a Superb Fairy-wren
Superb Fairy-wren
The Superb Fairywren , also known as the Superb Blue-wren or colloquially as the Blue Wren, is a passerine bird of the Maluridae family, common and familiar across south-eastern Australia...
. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs, drawings and diagrams and is dedicated by the author: “To my father Duncan Rowley who kindled my interest in birds”.
It was reviewed in the Emu
Emu (journal)
Emu, subtitled Austral Ornithology, is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. The journal was established in 1901 and is the oldest ornithological journal published in Australia...
by Richard Zann, who says:
”The book is divided into three sections. Part One has five chapters in which the reader is introduced to ornithology and the Australian environment. Australian birds are first put in an evolutionary and zoogeographical perspective and then the physiography, climate and main habitats of the continent are concisely described. A chapter on the general aspects of bird behaviour follows in which the basic methods of locomotion, foraging, drinking, grooming and communication are introduced. This leads to a general consideration of breeding in birds and the ecological factors that initiate and control it. The section concludes with a chapter on the way the habitat is shared out among competing individuals in time and space. Concepts such as competitive exclusion, territorialism and population regulation are painlessly introduced. Lastly, birds are classified into three basic life-styles depending on the distances they travel between breeding seasons: residents, migrants and nomads.
"The remainder of the book is devoted to accounts of the ways in which particular Australian birds have adapted to their habitats. Despite the limited amount of published information available Rowley has made a discerning selection of species. They illustrate all the main variations within the three basic lifestyles and illustrate with great clarity the concepts and principles established in Part One. In Part Two Rowley provides detailed insights into the ecology and social relation of the Superb Blue WrenSuperb Fairy-wrenThe Superb Fairywren , also known as the Superb Blue-wren or colloquially as the Blue Wren, is a passerine bird of the Maluridae family, common and familiar across south-eastern Australia...
, Australian RavenAustralian RavenThe Australian Raven is the largest Australian member of the genus Corvus and one of three Australian species commonly known as ravens. It is a more slender bird than the Common Raven of the Northern Hemisphere but is otherwise similar...
, Australian MagpieAustralian MagpieThe Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...
s, White-winged ChoughWhite-winged ChoughThe White-winged Chough is one of only two surviving members of the Australian mud-nest builders family, Corcoracidae, and is the only member of the genus Corcorax...
, Laughing KookaburraLaughing KookaburraThe Laughing Kookaburra, Dacelo novaeguineae, is a carnivorous bird in the kingfisher family Halcyonidae. Native to eastern Australia, it has also been introduced to parts of New Zealand, Tasmania and Western Australia. Male and female adults are similar in plumage, which is predominantly brown and...
, NoisyNoisy MinerThe Noisy Miner is a bird common to the eastern and southern states of Australia. It ranges from northern Queensland along the eastern coast to South Australia and Tasmania. Its typical diet consists of nectar, fruit and insects, and occasionally it feeds on small reptiles or amphibians...
and Bell MinerBell MinerThe Bell Miner, Manorina melanophrys, colloquially known as the Bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater endemic to southeastern Australia. They were given their common name because they feed almost exclusively on the dome-like coverings of certain psyllid bugs, referred to as "bell lerps," that feed on...
s, Tasmanian Native-henTasmanian Native-henThe Tasmanian Nativehen is a flightless rail and one of twelve species of birds endemic to the Australian island of Tasmania...
, MalleefowlMalleefowlThe Malleefowl is a stocky ground-dwelling Australian bird about the size of a domestic chicken...
, Eastern RosellaEastern RosellaThe Eastern Rosella is a rosella native to southeast of the Australian continent and to Tasmania. It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island and in the hills around Dunedin in the South Island.-Taxonomy:The Eastern Rosella was named by...
, GalahGalahThe Galah , Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo, Roseate Cockatoo or Pink and Grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.It is endemic on the mainland and was...
, Satin BowerbirdSatin BowerbirdThe Satin Bowerbird, Ptilonorhynchus violaceus is a bowerbird endemic to eastern Australia.A rare natural intergeneric hybrid between the Satin Bowerbird and the Regent Bowerbird is known as Rawnsley's Bowerbird.-Distribution:...
and Superb LyrebirdSuperb LyrebirdThe Superb Lyrebird is a pheasant-sized songbird, approximately 100cm long, with brown upper body plumage, grayish-brown below, rounded wings and strong legs...
. This is the best part of the book."